NARRATIVE

OF A

RESIDENCE IN
IN IRELAND

DURING

THE SUMMER OF 1814, AND THAT OF 1815.

BY

ANNE PLUMP TRE,

AUTHOR OF

NARRATIVE OF A THREE YEARS' RESIDENCE IN FRANCE, ETC.

ILLUSTRATED WITH

NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS OF REMARKABLE SCENERY.

"And sure it is yet a most beautifull and sweet country as any is under heaven, being stored throughout with
many goodly rivers, replenished with all sorts of fisă mást abundantly, sprinkled with many very sweet ilands and
goodly lakes, like little inland seas, that will carry even shippes upon their waters, adorned with goodly woods even fit
for building of houses and ships, so commodiously, as that if some princes in the world had them, they would soone
hope to be lords of all the seas, and ere long of all the world: also full of very good ports and havens opening upon
England, as inviting us to come unto them, to see what excellent comodities that countrey can afford'; besides the
soyle itselfe most fertill, fit to yeeld all kinde of fruit that shall be committed thereunto. And lastly, the heavens
most milde and temperate, though somewhat more moist then the parts towards the west."

Spenser's Discourse of the State of Ireland.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR HENRY COLBURN,

BRITISH ANd foreign pUBLIC LIBRARY, CONDUIT-STREET, HANOVER-SQUare.

301682

PREFACE.

ENCOURAGED COURAGED by the very flattering reception with which the Narrative of my Residence in France was favoured by an indulgent Public, I now venture again to appear before them in the character of a Traveller; trusting that the subject of the present Narrative will not appear of less interest, or less deserving of attention than the former.

If curiosity be deeply awakened, if interest be warmly excited, by inquiring into the circumstances and situation of nations not immediately, to use a familiar image, among our own connexions, who stand but, as it were, in the light of common acquaintance to us,if we are anxious to be introduced to a knowledge of the face of their country, to understand its natural advantages and disadvantages, its customs and manners, its civil and political state, that we may be enabled to compare them with our own, and judge between them and ourselves, a much deeper interest will surely be excited when these inquiries, these comparisons, relate to an object so near to us as a SISTER. And, though the public attention has of late years been much directed towards that Sister, I am yet willing to hope some gleanings will here be found not wholly destitute of novelty; some new colouring may perhaps, at least, be thrown over objects not in themselves entirely new, the lights and the shades may be differently distributed; while, though old friends with new faces are things we are always disposed to deprecate, it may not be altogether displeasing to see them arrayed in new clothing.

In collecting the materials for this work, my constant aim has been to examine every object with accuracy, to pursue every inquiry with

impartiality. In narrating the result of my investigations, I have looked to fidelity as my polar star,-that has never been sacrificed at the shrine of embellishment and amusement; though, I must own, I have been at the same time very ambitious that truth should be dressed in an amusing garb.

I have great obligations to acknowledge to many friends for assistance given in the prosecution of the work. My thanks are more particularly due to the two gentlemen by whom I was favoured with the principal part of the sketches for the engravings. Most of them were taken at my own particular desire, with a view to the illustration of my work those that were not so, were furnished me by a friend who had visited the spots from which they were taken two or three years previous to my visiting them. In making the drawings, according to my very earnest request, the strictest fidelity has been observed. I have, in the course of my work, reprobated the too common practice among artists, of rather aiming at forming a pleasing combination of objects, than delineating the spot such as it really is: but I trust it will not be found in any of the plates here given, that the efforts of imagination are wanted to add interest to the scenes.

To the public candour and judgement, then, the whole is submitted; —while I shall wait its verdict with the most anxious expectation, till a decidedly unfavourable one be pronounced I shall not be able to refuse myself the gratification of indulging pleasing hopes, founded on the animating recollection of past favours.

ANNE PLUMPTRE

LONDON, Nov. 20, 1816.